Back again! My guy has been off all PD meds for about 6 weeks now. No symptoms other than horrible nightmares. WEEKLY, sometimes more frequently. I know I should be thrilled about the PD symptoms no longer being there, and I am but his doctor doesn't seem to be convenced . Doc wants him to see a professional about the nightmares. Are these folks really able to knock them out????Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.Take care

Steven has nightmares and also isn't on meds (7 years post DBS). We've never considered the nightmares to be a PD symptom.

But he flails and sometimes hurls himself off the bed. And bellows. He says the movement part is PD, that some part of the brain that works for the rest of us doesn't for Parkies and they're not restrained from flailing around. One night he was trying to jump on a horse to escape a monster in a dream, and you should see a 300 pound man try to get on a horse from a prone position! (particularly when there's no horse.) [gotta laugh to survive ...]

My husband was first diagnosed with "essential tremor" in the early '90's. Was put on mirapex for shaking. Fast forward a few years and the night terror dreams started. Laurel, my big guy managed to launch me from the bed into the dresser. The second time it happened we saw the neurologist again. It was maybe ten years later, and he then dx PD. Went downhill until he shook 24-7 and lost 100 lbs. Had DBS in 2009 and shaking stopped, weight came back, but so did activities resume. Now has dreams, just not as physically disturbing.

Thanks for making me laugh. I could visualize your guy trying to jump on a horse during his REM sleep.

Acting out dreams... REM Sleep behavior disorder (Yeah, it has a name). Obviously, per our conversations here, it is quite common amongst our PWP.

My guy hit me a few times in his sleep also. His dreams are frequently violent, but in a few he has chuckled and spoken gibberish while raising his eyebrows for further conversational emphasis (something he rarely does when awake). He was obviously in a give and take conversation with someone in his dream. For me, this provided some light entertainment in the middle of the night!

LBD or Lewy Body Disease/Dementia is a PD plus disease with early signs of REM sleep diorder...these nightmares can be an early sign of that....some folks with LBD do not respond to A-typical parkinson's drugs at onset but sometimes can farther into the disease... Mine has almost broken my arm....he usually "works" in his sleep as he used to be a chef...but now that he is on strictly sinemet...these dreams are few and far between